Making Good All Damage
Ground Floor Extension - Repairing Damage to a Party Wall
'Damage' can take a number of forms and the following is just one slightly non-obvious example which involve a ground floor rear extension.
The adjoining owner had already built a rear extension partly utilizing an existing party wall. which had previously served as an enclosing wall of a rear garden lavatory. When the lavatory was removed all the walls were removed except the party section. The adjoining owner (as per the picture) had built his extension flank wall enclosing on this party wall and connected a new wall to it which formed the remainder of the flank wall.
When you look closely at the party wall you see a vertical line of yellow insulation showing in gaps along the rough brickwork. These gaps in the brickwork no doubt occurred when the rear lavatory walls were removed on both sides. .
The building owner was intending to build his new extension in exactly the same manner the adjoining owner had, utilizing the existing party wall with the addition of a new wall to form the flank wall of the extension.
He had started the works without any party wall surveyor on board and had only appointed us after pressure was exerted by the adjoining owner. He was in a rush to finish and had no intention of filling in the gaps. As the new wall was erected the gaps would obscured and soon no one would even be able to tell that they were there.
The result of this would be is a weakened party wall that could potentially collapse at some later stage were further loads to be added to it. Certainly, the building owner's obligation to undertake works to a party wall 'subject to making good all damage' would require him to brick in the gaps created when he removed the rear wall of the lavatory.
Fill them he did, but when I next inspected it turned out that the builder had interpreted the instruction as requiring him to do nor more than use a weak infill mortar pointing mix which was hardly going to preserve the structural strength of the original party wall. Builders do sometimes have a knack with words like that.
We did finally get the required result of a properly repaired wall and both parties will hopefully live, relatively noise-free, dry and generally, happily ever after.
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| Party Wall Connects Extension with House |
'Damage' can take a number of forms and the following is just one slightly non-obvious example which involve a ground floor rear extension.
The adjoining owner had already built a rear extension partly utilizing an existing party wall. which had previously served as an enclosing wall of a rear garden lavatory. When the lavatory was removed all the walls were removed except the party section. The adjoining owner (as per the picture) had built his extension flank wall enclosing on this party wall and connected a new wall to it which formed the remainder of the flank wall.
When you look closely at the party wall you see a vertical line of yellow insulation showing in gaps along the rough brickwork. These gaps in the brickwork no doubt occurred when the rear lavatory walls were removed on both sides. .
The building owner was intending to build his new extension in exactly the same manner the adjoining owner had, utilizing the existing party wall with the addition of a new wall to form the flank wall of the extension.
He had started the works without any party wall surveyor on board and had only appointed us after pressure was exerted by the adjoining owner. He was in a rush to finish and had no intention of filling in the gaps. As the new wall was erected the gaps would obscured and soon no one would even be able to tell that they were there.
The result of this would be is a weakened party wall that could potentially collapse at some later stage were further loads to be added to it. Certainly, the building owner's obligation to undertake works to a party wall 'subject to making good all damage' would require him to brick in the gaps created when he removed the rear wall of the lavatory.
Fill them he did, but when I next inspected it turned out that the builder had interpreted the instruction as requiring him to do nor more than use a weak infill mortar pointing mix which was hardly going to preserve the structural strength of the original party wall. Builders do sometimes have a knack with words like that.
We did finally get the required result of a properly repaired wall and both parties will hopefully live, relatively noise-free, dry and generally, happily ever after.
BH Party Wall Surveyors is a London-based party wall surveying company offering advice and party wall services to building owners and adjoining owners. Readers should always take their own professional advice and not rely on the information provided here particularly given that no two situations are identical. www.bhpwsurveyors.co.uk
